Crib



Feb. 26, 1935.

CRIB

Filed Jan. 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l M. F. BAYER 1,992,733

M. F. BAYER Feb. 26, 1935.

CRIB

Filed Jan. 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w r s. lilw RNK NMMMNU mm L m M mm WMN PM w .b UN @N Nu M W \\\.l m w\\\. mg %g m Patented Feb. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRIB ration of Delaware Application January 15, 1934, Serial No. 706,639

9 Claims.

This invention relates to cribs and has particular reference to cribs embodying a drop side for facilitating access to the bed bottom of the crib.

The main objects of the invention are to provide an improved crib construction for facilitating access to the crib bottom; to provide an arrangement in which the bed bottom is conveniently adjustable upwardly from its normal lowered position to an elevated position, so as to eliminate to aconsiderable extent the stooping necessary for reaching a child in the crib; to provide an improved arrangement for effecting adjustment of the-crib bottom; and in general, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved crib construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (2 sheets), wherein there is illustrated a crib embodying a selected form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, the crib side being shown in its normal elevated position in full lines and in its normal lowered position in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the crib side ,depressedbelow its normal lowered position and the bed bottom elevated from its normal position;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, but showing the parts in a changed positon;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a crib embodying a supporting frame consisting of end frames '7 and 8, respectively, which may be of any conventional construction. The end frames are rigidly connected by means of side rails 9 and 10 respectively, preferably of angle iron construction as shown. At one side, the end frames '7 and 8 are also rigidly con- 45 heated by means of a side frame, which includes top and bottom rails 11 and 12 (Fig. 3), which are fixedly connected to the end frames in any suitable manner. At the other side, the end frames are connected by means of a vertically adjustable side frame which embodies top and bottom rails 13 and 14. The vertically adjustable side frame is connected to the end frames for vertical adjustment relative thereto through the agency of rods such as indicated at 15-15 which fit slidably through suitable openings 16 in the line 3-3 I of ends of the top and bottom rails of the side member. The guide rods l5-15 are anchored at their upper ends to the corner posts of the end frames through the agency of laterally extending end portions of the guide rods, and at their lower ends, the said guide rods are positioned by means of suitable brackets such as 17-17 which are secured in any suitable manner to the end frames and provided with means for receiving the lower ends of the rods. As indicated, the guide rods 15-15 are disposed in substantially parallel relation to the corner posts of the respective end frames.

A bed bottom 18 of suitable angle iron border frame construction is mounted in the bed frame 15 for vertical adjustment relative thereto. The means for so mounting the bed bottom includes a pair of links at each side of the bed bottom, the links at one side being designated 20 and the" links at the other side being designated 21. The links 20 and 21 are each pivotally connected at their upper ends to the border frame of the bed bottom through suitable means such as brackets, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. At their lower ends, the links 20 are respectively pivotally connected to the inner ends of the levers 22 which are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on brackets 19 carried by the side rail 9. The links 21 are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the ends of inwardly extending arms of bell-cranks, such as 24, which are pivotally mounted as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, on brackets such as 25 carried by the side rail 10. The levers 22 and the bell-cranks 24 are connected in pairs for simultaneous operation by means of rods such as 23.

The bell cranks 24 just referred to, are arranged so that one of them has an arm project- 'ing downwardly and the other an arm projecting upwardly, the ends of the latter arms being con- 0 nected by a tie rod or link 26 (see Fig. 4). At a suitable point intermediate its ends, the link has secured to it a bracket 27 which carries a short link 28 to -,which springs 29 and 30 are connected. The springs 29 and 30 are anchored at their ends to the side rail 10 through the agency of brackets, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

When the bed bottom is in its normal, lowered positon resting on the side rails 9 and 10, the spring 29 is retracted and the spring 30 is stretched so as to be under suflicient tension to have a material counterbalancing effect, but not an overbalancing effect, on the weight of the bed bottom 18 and the mattress 31 thereon. The force of 56 gravity is thus sufficient to overcome the lifting tendency of the counterbalancing spring 30).

To prevent swaying of the bed bottom lengthwise on the links 20 and 21, the end members 18a of the bed bottom are extended beyond the side members as indicated at 32 (best shown in Figs. 3 and 5), and the extended end portions are notched as shown, to receive the guide rods 15l5 at one side and similar but shorter guide rods 3333 at the other side. The guide rods 33-33 may conveniently be only of such length as is required to permit the full extent of vertical movement of the bed bottom.

The levers 22 have pivotally connected to their outer ends, depending members 36 which have lower end portions 3'! bent to extend outwardly and provided with eyes as indicated at 384, disposed around the respective guide rods 1515. The eyes 38 are a slidable fit on the respective guide rods so that the member 36 may be moved vertically relative to the guide rods when desired.

The vertically adjustable side frame is provided at the ends of its upper rail 13 with locking means for locking the side frame in elevated position. The locking means is illustrated in detail in Fig. 6, and includes a plunger 39 slidably mounted in a bored hole 40 in the top rail 13, a spring 41 being disposed at the inner end of the plunger for normally urging the same to move outwardly. At its outer end, the plunger is adapted to project into a suitable notch 43 formed in the cooperating guide rod 15, to thereby support the side frame in elevated position. An operating pin 44 is secured to the plunger 39 and extends laterally therefrom through a suitable slot 45 in the rail 13, to facilitate manual disengagement of the plunger 39 from the guide rod with which it is engaged.

The side frame may be lowered from its normal elevated position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, to an initial or normal lowered position illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 1. This position is determined by engagement of the bottom rail i l of the side frame with the end portions 37 or eyes 38 of the members 36. The weight of the side frame on the members 36, acting through the levers 22 tends to effect upward adjustment of the bed bottom and thus assists the spring 30 in its tendency to effect such adjustment. However, the weight of the mattress 31 and bed bottom is sufiicient to overcome the tendency of the combined force of the spring 30 and weight of the side frame to effect upward adjustment as referred to. Such upward adjustment may, however, be readily accomplished by manually depressing the side frame to a lowered position, as shown in Fig. 2. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, such further downward movement of the side frame acts through the members 36- and the levers 22- to elevate the bed bottom so that the top surface of the mattress is somewhat above the level of the top rail 13 of the adjustable side frame when the latter is depressed to its lowest position.

The side frame may be locked in the said lowermost position by providing notches in the guide rods 15-15 to receive the locking bolts when the side frame is in such lowered position. Also, to prevent overthrow of the lovers 22 and links 20, whereby a downward movement of the bed bottom would be caused, a suitable stop arrangement such as indicated at 16 may be provided at the pivotal connection between the levers 22 and 20.

It will be apparent that only a light force will be required to effect elevation of the bed bottom inasmuch as the bed bottom is more or less counterbalanced by the combined force of the weight of the adjustable side frame and the tension of the spring 30. As shown, the spring 29 has one end hooked in a slot in the link 28 and the arrangement is such that the spring is stretched during only a final portion of the movement of the tie rod 26 when the bed bottom is elevated. The function of the spring 29 is to break the over-the-center, stopped position of the arm 2220 and 24-21 when the side frame is unlocked and raised from its depressed position. The said over-the-center, stopped position of the arms mentioned enables the same to steadily support the bed bottom in elevated position.

The described structure is quite simple and it is obviously convenient to operate in that all of the manipulation is through the agency of the vertically adjustable side frame of the crib. Because of the counterbalance arrangement of the parts, only slight manual force is necessary to elevate the bed bottom. The advantages of the structure are believed to be sufficiently obvious to not require further explanation.

Changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. In a crib of the class described, the combination of a main frame, a bed bottom vertically adjustably mounted on said frame, a side frame also vertically adjustably mounted on said main frame, and means constituting an operative connection between said side frame and bed bottom during only a portion of the range of adjustment of said side frame for causing simultaneous, oppositely directed, vertical adjustment of said side frame and bed bottom as an incident to vertical adjustment of said side frame in said portion of its range of adjustment.

2. In a crib of the class described, the combination of a main frame, a bed bottom vertically adjustably mounted on said frame, means for supporting said bed bottom at predetermined, lowered position, a side frame also vertically adjustably mounted on said main frame, means for supporting said side frame in a lowered position intermediate the extremities of its range of vertical adjustment, said last mentioned means including a member movable with the side frame to a still lower position and connections to the bed bottom for effecting upward movement of said bed bottom as an incident to said lowering of the side frame.

3. In a crib of the class described, the combination of a main frame, a bed bottom vertically adjustably disposed in said frame and normally maintaining itself, by gravity, in predetermined lowered position, a side frame vertically adjustably mounted on said main frame, and having a lowered position in predetermined relation to the normal lowered position of said bed bottom, and means whereby said bed bottom is elevated as an incident to lowering of said side frame below its said predetermined normal lowered position.

4. In a crib, the combination of a main frame, a bed bottom, means adjustably mounted on said main frame for vertically adjustably supporting said bed bottom, means for supporting the bed bottom in predetermined, normal position, a side frame vertically adjustably mounted on said main frame, means operatively connected to said bed bottom for engaging the side frame to support the latter in predetermined lowered position relative to the bed bottom when lowered, said last mentioned means being operative, as an incident to movement of the side frame to a position lower than its said predetermined lowered position, to effect elevation of said bed bottom, and means for insuring return of the bed bottom to lowered position upon upward adjustment of said side frame.

5. In a crib, the combination of a main frame, a bed bottom, means adjustably mounted on said main frame for vertically adjustably supporting said bed bottom, means for supporting the bed bottom in predetermined, normal position, a side frame vertically adjustably mounted on said main frame, means operatively connected to said bed bottom for engaging the side frame to support the latter in predetermined lowered position relative to the bed bottom when lowered, said last mentioned means being operative, as an incident to movement of the side frame to a position lower than its said predetermined lowered position, to effect elevation of said bed bottom, and means for locking said bed bottom in elevated position.

6. In a crib, the combination of a main frame, a bed bottom, means adjustably mounted on said main frame for vertically adjustably supporting said bed bottom, means for supporting the bed bottom in predetermined, normal position, a side frame vertically adjustably mounted on said main frame, means operatively connected to said bed bottom for engaging the side frame to support the latter in predetermined lowered position relative 'to the bed bottom when lowered, said last mentioned means being operative, as an incident to movement of the side frame to a position lower than its said predetermined lowered position, to effect elevation of said bed bottom, and means for locking said side frame in its lowermost position to thereby lock said bed bottom in elevated position. a

'I. In a crib, the combination of a main frame, a bed bottom, means adjustably mounted on said main frame for vertically adjustably supporting said bed bottom, means for supporting the bed bottom in predetermined, normal position, counterbalancing means normally tending to elevate the bed bottom, a side frame vertically adJustably mounted on said main frame and having normal raised and lowered positions relative to the normal position of the bed bottom, and means operatively connecting the side frame when in lowered position, with the bed bottom for effecting elevation of the latter as an incident to depression of said side frame below its normal lowered position, said counterbalancing means and the weight of said side frame cooperating to counterbalance the weight of the bed bottom to facilitate said elevation-thereof.

8. In a crib, the combination of a main frame, a bed bottom, means adjustably mounted on said main frame for vertically adiustably supporting said bed bottom, means for supporting the bed bottom in predetermined, normal position, spring means normally tending to elevate the bed bottom, a side frame vertically adjustably mounted on said main frame and having normal raised and lowered positions relative to the normal position of the bed bottom, means operatively connecting the side frame when in lowered position, with the bed bottom for effecting elevation of the latter as an incident to depression of said side frame below its normal lowered position, said spring means and the weight of said side frame cooperating to counterbalance the weight of the bed bottom to facilitate said elevation thereof, and means for locking the bed bottom in elevated position.

9. In a crib, the combination of and frames, side rails rigidly connecting said end frames, a bed bottom, means for vertically adjustably supporting said bed bottom comprising links pivotally connected at their upper ends to the bed bottom, members pivoted to said side rails and pivotally connected to the lower ends of said links, said members being arranged in pairs respectively disposed adjacent the ends of the bed bottom and the members of each pair being oppositely disposed at the respective sides of the bed bottom and interconnected for unitary pivotal movement, a side frame vertically adjustably mounted at its ends on said end frames and having normal raised and lowered positions, means connected to one of said pivoted members and adapted to be engaged by said side frame when lowered below its normal lowered position to effect elevation of the bed bottom.

MA'I'IHEW F. BAYER. 

